Schissler, six-time PBA Tour titlist, dies at 83

Les Schissler, a six-time PBA Tour winner who was the first bowler to roll a perfect game in team competition at the ABC Championships, has died.

Schissler, who was 83, died Saturday in Brighton, Colo.

Schissler won the 1967 All-Star Tournament (now the U.S. Open) for his only major title. He finished fourth in the ABC Masters in 1983 at the age of 53.

“Les was a good, steady, solid bowler,” said Hall of Famer Carmen Salvino. “If the (lane) condition ever called for bowling from the corner of the lane, he was unbeatable. He had one of the classic styles in the sport and was very accurate.”

Schissler, a member of the USBC Hall of Fame, was also a three-time USBC Open Championships titlist, winning Classic singles, all-events and team titles in 1966.

“He was pretty quiet and even-tempered and that was probably one of the keys to his success,” said PBA historian Chuck Pezzano. “He was consistent and always kept the ball in play. Sometimes you didn’t even know he was there until he did something great on the lanes.”